Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship

The "Viewpoints" column is intended as a venue for those involved with information issues (primarily, but not necessarily limited to, academic librarians) to present their opinions on important topics of the day. The topic does not necessarily have to fit in with the theme of a particular ISTL issue. Submissions should be thoughtful, relevant, and timely. While they should be "fair and balanced" in examining both sides of an argument, they should also express a personal opinion. Constructive criticism is welcome, but submissions should not be unduly negative or inflammatory. Opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not represent those of ISTL, the Science and Technology Section, ACRL, or ALA.

Style: The piece should be relatively informal and conversational in tone. A graph or table or a few footnotes are not out of the question, but we expect these columns to be mostly text. The column editor and the ISTL editor reserve the right to edit submissions for style, clarity, and length.

Length: There is no firm limit on the length of a submission, but in the interests of readers' time, short and succinct is preferred. 500-1000 words would be a good target length.

The column editor will consult with the author on any changes before submitting it to ISTL for final publication. The editors reserve the right to reject any submission deemed unsuitable for publication.

Submissions should be e-mailed (as text or attached Word or RTF files) to:

David Flaxbart
University of Texas
Chemistry Library
Austin TX 78713
e-mail: dflaxbart@istl.org

Updated: April 8, 2014

Instructions for Authors of Viewpoints Opinion Pieces